Where do the Hornets stand in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes after recent wins?

Charlotte still has a strong shot of landing the top player in the country.

Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Winning games is important for a team who hasn't experienced much of it in recent years. It's hard to build a team into a playoff contender and more if you don't get that taste of winning and change the narrative surrounding said organization.

At the same time, winning can greatly impact a bad team's chances of landing a top pick in the draft. Players and coaches will never embrace tanking because their jobs are on the line. That's more of a front office thing and how the roster is constructed.

But here of late, the Charlotte Hornets have won more often than some of its fans would like and has put them in danger of falling outside of the bottom three in the NBA. The teams that finish with the three worst records all have a 14% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick. That percentage drops to 12.5% with the fourth-worst record and just under 10% for the fifth and sixth slots.

There are twelve games left on the docket for the Hornets, seven of which are against projected lottery teams, meaning they could conceivably play themselves out of a top-three spot in the lottery.

Updated lottery race

Mar 20, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) shoots the ball during the NCAA pre tournament practice at Lenovo Center at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images / Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

1. Washington Wizards (15-54)

2. Utah Jazz (16-55)

3. Charlotte Hornets (18-52)

4. New Orleans Pelicans (19-52)

5. Philadelphia 76ers (23-47)

6. Brooklyn Nets (23-47)

7. Toronto Raptors (24-46)

8. Miami Heat (24-46)

9. Chicago Bulls (30-40)

10. San Antonio Spurs (30-39)

11. Portland Trail Blazers (32-39)

12. Dallas Mavericks (34-37)

13. Houston Rockets, from Phoenix (34-37)

14. Atlanta Hawks, from Sacramento (35-34)

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